Russia’s Mariinsky Theater Resident Conductor Resigns

Gavriel Heine, 47, was the protégé of the company’s leader, Valery Gergiev. Recently, Heine became increasingly unsettled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the New York Times reported. 

“There’s no way I could ever be in denial of what is happening in Ukraine,” Heine said. “Russia is not a place where I want to raise my son. It’s not a place where I want my wife to be anymore. It’s not a place I want to be anymore.”

His decision and notice of stepping down was reportedly a quick five-minute conversation while Gergiev was heading to a meeting. Gergiev seemed surprised by the decision but accepted it, Heine told NY Times.

“He was very nice to me,” Heine said. “He gave me a handshake and a hug and wished me well. And of course I thanked him for giving me such a huge chance pretty early in my career.”

The two of them also spoke about tensions between Russia and the West. Gergiev has been dropped from several U.S. and European cultural organizations and orchestras over his refusal to publicly condemn the war. Heine recalled that Gergiev defended his position, saying that he was not a child.

Born and raised in the U.S., Heine traveled to Russia when he was 17 to study and was the first American citizen to graduate from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory. His mentors included Ilya Musin, Leonid Korchmar, Imre Palló, Thomas Baldner, and David Effron. He was appointed Mariinsky Theater’s resident conductor following his 2007 debut with the company by invitation of Gergiev.

Heine also had a personal connection to Ukraine, having served as chief conductor of the Kharkiv Symphony Orchestra between 2003 and 2007. He was devastated by the impacts Russian missiles had on Kharkiv in early March.

“That broke me,” he told NY Times on the attack. “I saw the faces of all of the musicians that I had worked with. I thought of my orchestra director who lives two blocks behind that building. I mean, that’s his neighborhood. I just lost it. I couldn’t do anything that day and I thought that was pretty much it.”

Heine shared that it was hard for him to leave Russia — where he has spent half his life and built a 30-year conducting career. Culturally, he considers himself Russian, though he remains an American citizen.

“The sad part wasn’t walking into the theater; the sad part was the disappointment and the sadness of the people that I had to tell I was leaving,” he reflected. “The theater’s not going anywhere,” he added. “I am.”

He is currently in London, where he will be leading a production of Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House next month.

Heine’s resignation comes as conflicts in Ukraine continue to impact the arts globally. Cultural institutions especially across Europe and North America have severed ties with performers who have supported Vladimir Putin, including singer Anna Netrebko and conductor Valery Gergiev — who have faced controversies regarding their stance on the war.

The Mariinsky Theater is also currently undergoing potential plans by Putin to merge with the Bolshoi Ballet. This merger would see the Russian ballet system return to its pre-Revolution origins, while also creating new work for Gergiev after his fall from grace in the West.